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Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 3-5-2013

El Paso Herald, March 5, 1913:

John Kling, baseball catcher, today mailed a letter to president Herrmann, of the Cincinnati National league baseball club…Kling in the letter, admitted he signed a contract, but insisted he did it with a distinct understanding that the contract would not be binding unless Kling’s local business partner agreed to his leaving [Kansas City]. This, Kling stated, his partner refused to do and thus the contract never became effective.

Kling eventually did report to the Reds and had a pretty good year, hitting .273/.318/.364 (95 OPS+) in 80 games as Tommy Clarke’s backup. It was Kling’s final season in pro baseball.

Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 07:03 AM | 28 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: dugout, history, johnny kling

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1. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 07:11 AM (#4380856)

Really good top-to-bottom Birthday Team, apart from a shaky infield.

If you're feeling really adventurous, you could move Konerko to third base and play OBP machine Lu Blue at first. But that'd probably be really crazy.

C/Manager: Del Crandall
1B: Paul Konerko
2B: Rabbit Robinson
3B: Don Savage
SS: John Richmond
LF: Elmer Valo
CF: Jeffrey Hammonds
RF: Sam Thompson

SP: Jeff Tesreau
SP: Erik Bedard
SP: Steve Ontiveros
SP: Ryan Franklin
SP: Virgil Barnes
RP: Kent Tekulve

2. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow Posted: March 05, 2013 at 10:32 AM (#4380957)

Historical item up at THT notes that today is also the 40th anniversary of the news breaking of the Peterson-Kekich wife swap.

3. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 10:59 AM (#4380987)

A poster at Royals Review attended a Q&A with the CEO of MLBAM, and apparently the blackout restrictions during FOX broadcasts are being lifted in 2014. Hooray!

4. Nasty Nate Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:08 PM (#4381046)

Almost as common to spring training as best-shape-of-his-life stories are players being arrested for DUI. Red Sox minor-leaguer Drake Britton was supposedly driving 110 mph in a pickup at 4:45 in the morning while drunk over the weekend.

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/9018223/2013-spring-training-drake-britton-boston-red-sox-prospect-arrested-dui-charge

5. salvomania Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:44 PM (#4381078)

One of today's birthday boys, Mike MacDougal, holds an obscure major league pitching record, albeit one that can be gleaned from scanning his bb-ref player page....

6. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:47 PM (#4381083)

Red Sox minor-leaguer Drake Britton was supposedly driving 110 mph in a pickup at 4:45 in the morning while drunk over the weekend.

That seems like exactly the sort of thing that would portend unemployment for a soon-to-be 24-year-old who was drafted in the 23rd round and who's 8-25, 5.50 across A+ and AA ball since '11.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't release him on the spot.

7. Nasty Nate Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:49 PM (#4381085)

I'm kind of surprised they didn't release him on the spot.

They did at least immediately demote him.

8. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:50 PM (#4381087)

Mike MacDougal, holds an obscure major league pitching record

Most career saves by a guy whose middle name is Meiklejohn?

9. salvomania Posted: March 05, 2013 at 12:54 PM (#4381094)

Most career saves by a guy whose middle name is Meiklejohn?

Probably, but that's not the one that I noticed.

10. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:10 PM (#4381110)

[5] Is it something to do with him starting his first 3 games ever and then pitching 404 games in relief?

11. salvomania Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:28 PM (#4381130)

Is it something to do with him starting his first 3 games ever and then pitching 404 games in relief?

That's not what I was looking at. But his pitching mostly in relief definitely affected his ability to set this record.

12. esseff Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:29 PM (#4381134)

Kling eventually did report to the Reds and had a pretty good year, hitting .273/.318/.364 (95 OPS+) in 80 games as Tommy Clarke’s backup. It was Kling’s final season in pro baseball.

He did, however, hold out for the entire 1909 season.

13. AndrewJ Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:31 PM (#4381138)

Mike MacDougal, holds an obscure major league pitching record

Most MLB seasons with the same W-L record?

14. kthejoker Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:39 PM (#4381154)

Most game appearances without a plate appearance?

EDIT: He's 15th all-time. #1 pitched 786 games primarily for Detroit, Oakland, and Baltimore.

15. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:46 PM (#4381166)

Most wild pitches for a reliever?

EDIT: He's 15th all-time. #1 pitched 786 games primarily for Detroit, Oakland, and Baltimore.

Wedsel Groom?

16. salvomania Posted: March 05, 2013 at 01:57 PM (#4381180)

Most MLB seasons with the same W-L record?

This is getting warmer, but it's not what I had in mind.

I wouldn't be surprised if he does hold this record, though, because he had the same won-loss record five times in his career, which seems pretty tough to beat. But I have no idea how to look up something like that.

He does tie a bunch of others, however, for most seasons (again, 5) in which his record was exactly .500, but that's not exactly what I was looking for, either.

17. JJ1986 Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:09 PM (#4381194)

Longest career with exactly 0 WAR?

18. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:14 PM (#4381200)

Highest GF-SV total? (I'd think lots of old timers could beat that)

19. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:23 PM (#4381213)

This is getting warmer, but it's not what I had in mind.

Is it most 1-loss seasons? Or 1-win?

20. Nasty Nate Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:24 PM (#4381215)

Only pitcher to have 3 different 20-save seasons that were neither preceded or followed by another 20-save season?

21. Der_K Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:33 PM (#4381225)

Britton was BA's #11 prospect for the Red Sox - they're not releasing him.

Posted yesterday, but Marlins prospect LHP Charlie Lowell was arrested for alledgedly choking his girlfriend in a domestic dispute.

22. kthejoker Posted: March 05, 2013 at 02:47 PM (#4381242)

It was indeed Buddy Groom at #1, followed by Bob Stanley, Mike Fetters, Chad Bradford, and strangely, Tippy Martinez, who played a lot longer than I remembered.

23. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 04:16 PM (#4381336)

Britton was BA's #11 prospect for the Red Sox - they're not releasing him.

Yowza. That either says something about the Sox farm system, BA, or both. Given his age and inability to get people out above A ball, what in the world is his major league ceiling? LOOGY?

From what I've read, he throws a fastball in the low 90s and doesn't have a MLB-ready breaking ball. It's sort of weird to me that a low draft pick who's about to turn 24 and doesn't appear to be close to the majors would have any value other than organizational filler.

24. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 04:29 PM (#4381342)

He not only had a DUI, but he

eluded police in pursuit by swerving between vehicles before leaving the road and driving down an incline and eventually knocking over a barbed-wire fence. Police said Britton then tried to drive through a wooded area.

25. salvomania Posted: March 05, 2013 at 04:31 PM (#4381344)

Is it most 1-loss seasons?

That is what I was looking for; not too exciting, but Mike MacDougal is the only pitcher to ever have exactly one loss in seven different seasons.

Or 1-win?

Only two pitchers (Jay Witasik, Shawn Hill) have more exactly-1-win seasons than does MacDougal, who has five.

Only pitcher to have 3 different 20-save seasons that were neither preceded or followed by another 20-save season?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the case as well.

26. Nasty Nate Posted: March 05, 2013 at 05:08 PM (#4381400)

From what I've read, he throws a fastball in the low 90s and doesn't have a MLB-ready breaking ball. It's sort of weird to me that a low draft pick who's about to turn 24 and doesn't appear to be close to the majors would have any value other than organizational filler.

I don't dispute your overall point, but I think he throws in the high 90's, not low 90's.

27. puck Posted: March 05, 2013 at 06:52 PM (#4381523)

A poster at Royals Review attended a Q&A with the CEO of MLBAM, and apparently the blackout restrictions during FOX broadcasts are being lifted in 2014. Hooray!

Interesting post. Interesting that he gave out revenue numbers--$650 million for MLBAM as a whole, $250 million from "content subscriptions."

28. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 05, 2013 at 07:18 PM (#4381539)

FWIW, I've seen a bunch of articles that say Britton's fastball sits around 92. Last June in the Bangor Daily News:

His fastball is consistently in the 92-93 mph range.

From SoxProspects.com:

Four-seam fastball sits 92-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph, showing good downward life and hop when on top of the ball.

I've never actually seen the kid pitch, so I have no idea. That's just what I've read.

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